"We're going to do everything we can to get it done," Lamoriello said.

According to the transfer agreement the NHL has with European teams through the IIHF, if Larsson, who was selected fourth overall last month, is not signed before 5 p.m., Friday, the Devils would have to pay his Swedish Elite League team, Skelleftea, $100,000 to be able to sign him before 5 p.m. Aug. 15. If he is not signed before 5 p.m. on Aug. 15, Larsson would have to fulfill the remaining year on his contract with Skelleftea.

Lamoriello would not comment on whether he'd be willing to pay the $100,000 to negotiate with Larsson beyond Friday's deadline.

"I'm not going to get into any discussions about anything like that," Lamoriello said.

Larsson said Monday that he hopes to havve a deal done by the end of the week.

I asked Lamoriello if this was a new situation for him because he has never had to negotiate with a draft pick as high as No. 4 overall with an entry-level salary cap system in place. Does that make it more difficult?

"We'll find out," Lamoriello said.

What doesn't matter, Lamoriello said, is how Larsson performs at the team's development camp this week.

"Anything that he does here has no bearing on the decision to sign him because we know what he can do and what he can't do," Lamoriello said. "He's a quality player and, as I said earlier, we're going to do everything we can to get him signed. I like everything he does. He's very mature for his age, very humble and yet confident. He's going to be a good player."

Lamoriello admitted that the fact there is no bonus cushion next season "plays a role" in how he'll put his roster together, but said it does not play a role in signing Larsson, whose cap hit potentially could exceed $3 million including bonuses. Lamoriello has never given a draft pick the "A" bonus package before.

***Lamoriello repeated what I reported Monday, which is that he won't be announcing a new head coach this week. He said the decision not to name a head coach this week was not related to the development camp being held this week.

"We will have a coach in the very near future,." Lamoriello said.

Lamoriello again would not discuss whether last year's assistants Larry Robinson, Adam Oates, Chris Terreri and Albany coach Rick Kowalski -- who are all helping run the development camp this week -- would remain with the team under the new head coach. (Lamoriello did say Monday that Tommy Albelin, who is not here this week because he is in Sweden with his son, is stiill with the organization).

"I'm not going to get any discussions with reference to the coaching staff or anything of that nature." Lamoriello said.

***As I mentioned Monday, Lamoriello believes ex-Devil Sergei Brylin has a future in coaching, but, as of now, is just helping out as an assistant for the week at development camp and no decision has been made beyond that.

"We haven't even talked," Lamoriello said. "I don't even know what Sergei's plans are as far as playing next year. I know he's in great shape. He's working out. But I had asked him when he came here right after the season, when he got home (from Russia) and came to a game, I asked him if he wanted to come participate in summer camp. Sergei certainly is going to have a great future in coaching if he wants simply because of the way he played the game, the way he thinks the game and his interaction with people. But there has been no conversation with him about anything else."

Brylin, 37, has played in the KHL the last three seasons with SKA St. Petersburg, but his contract is expired. Lamoriello said he hasn't really had a chance to talk to Brylin yet about his future.

"We'll sit down and see what his thoughts are and his plans are and what he wants to do," Lamoriello said.

I hope to speak to Brylin myself about his future later today or Wednesday.

***Lamoriello revealed that in addition to inviting Devils center Travis Zajac's brothers, Darcy (played in Trenton and Albany last season) and Kelly (headed back to Union College for his senior year) to this week's camp, he also invited the youngest Zajac brother, Nolan, to the camp. Nolan Zajac, a defenseman who is committed to the University of Denver, but is expected to play one more season with Cedar Rapids in the USHL, was unable to make it, though, "for different reasons."

Travis remains at home in Winnipeg. The Zajacs' father, Tom, played at the University of Denver from 1973 to 1977. Now, he's had four sons earn scholarships to play hockey at Division I colleges.

"Very impressive," Lamoriello said. "To me, that's a story."

Nolan is the lone defenseman in the family. The other brothers are forward, as was his father.

"They're all different. I can tell you that," Lamoriello said. "They're great kids, a great family. Just the respect and the way all four of them have been brought up is a compliment to their mom and dad."

***Lamoriello said they "haven't decided yet" whether a scrimmage will be made open to the public later this week. The Devils did open one development camp scrimmage to the public two years ago, but did not last year after halting the camp a day early because of player fatigue.

"That was the last minute last year and the decision on that would simplistically be physically where the players are at," Lamoriello said.

The players will scrimmage again this afternoon (scheduled for 2:30 p.m.), but Lamoriello said the schedule will change Wednesday out of concern for fatigue.

About

TOM GULITTI has covered the New Jersey Devils for The Record since 2002. Prior to that, he covered the New York Rangers for four years. Gulitti joined The Record in 1998 after six years at The North Jersey Herald News. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric-Literature.